Guatemala Prison Infrastructure
Guatemala has one of the lowest rates of incarceration in Latin America, and despite this, it faces a challenge of prison overcrowding. The infrastructure deficit and rapid growth of the prison population are some of the factors that have caused the collapse of the country’s prison system.
The deficit of spaces to house inmates prevents an adequate separation according to their profile, a situation that exposes low-risk inmates to the dominance of those classified as high danger, and makes inmates who are in pre-trial detention coexist with those who are convicted of a crime and serving their sentences. The Penitentiary System manages 22 prisons, fifteen of them for men, five for mixed use and two for women, which, in total, have 6,812 prison spaces for an inmate population that today exceeds 25,000.
In addition, the growth of the prison population has not been offset by a proportional increase in the number of prison officers, which has led to a lack of control and vigilance that has allowed highly dangerous inmates to organize and exercise control inside prisons. Therefore, violent acts often take place inside, as well as escapes and riots. Such circumstances have favored inmates having access to alcohol, drugs, weapons and mobile phones, and that crimes directed against the citizen population are planned and coordinated from within the prisons.
Overcrowding has led to increased wear and tear on the infrastructure, which after several decades of operation and because of the lack of maintenance and the over-proportional use, is in poor condition. In addition, the over-population has also resulted in a shortage resources and services available to inmates, such as beds, showers, water, electricity, toilets, among others. This situation is also making the rehabilitation and re-socialization of inmates increasingly difficult.
During COVID-19 pandemic, the penitentiary system implemented the suspension of visits and personnel from other institutions and has reduced the transfers of inmates to other centers, courts, and hospitals. Also, the placement of new inmates and patients with COVID-19 in quarantine areas has made it extremely difficult to promote hygiene and social distancing measures due to overcrowding and prison conditions.
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), through its Justice Sector Investment and Modernization Program, approved US$300 million and has granted the first disbursement to Guatemala in the amount of US$27.4 million. With this support, the Ministry of the Interior (MINGOB) will initiate key investments to strengthen the capacities of the institutions responsible for the administration of security and justice in Guatemala at the national level.
With some of these resources, MINGOB will begin the first phase of construction of police stations and substations, as well as the design, construction, and supervision of two maximum security prisons, which will be located on land owned by the state in the department of Escuintla – south of Guatemala City. The authorities of MINGOB plan to launch the tender in 2021, to be fully completed before the term of the current administration which ends in 2024.
These public sector opportunities are published as tenders on the government procurement website, http://www.guatecompras.gt/. It is advisable to any foreign company interested in engaging into a commercial relationship with an official or governmental entity to be associated with a local Guatemalan partner. Foreign companies can participate in any government procurement without a local business associate but must show that the company has provisionally registered with the Mercantile Registry. If the foreign company is awarded a public contract, it must demonstrate that it is properly registered to operate in the country through an authorized branch.
For additional information, and additional details on potential opportunities, please contact Libby Mota at libby.mota@trade.gov